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Babar Azam To Drop Shadab Khan & Saim Ayub; Pakistan's Probable XI For 3rd T20I vs ENG

Pakistan will take on ENG in 3rd T20I on Tuesday [X]Pakistan will take on ENG in 3rd T20I on Tuesday [X]

On Tuesday, Pakistan will lock horns with England in the third T20I of the ongoing four-match series at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. While the series opener was abandoned due to rain, England crushed the visitors by 23 runs in the subsequent affair at Edgbaston, Birmingham. 

Batting first, England posted a sizeable 183-run total, riding on an exceptional fifty from skipper Jos Buttler. In response, Pakistan put up a dismal show with the bat, being bowled out for 160 runs. 

Although many things went wrong for Pakistan in the second T20I, ace all-rounder Shadab Khan's abysmal form has emerged as a massive concern for Pakistan ahead of the T20 World Cup. 

At Edgbaston, Shadab let the team down, going wicketless for 55 runs and contributing only three runs with the bat. 

So, considering it's a do-or-die game for Pakistan, it won't be surprising if they bench the spin bowling all-rounder for his poor form. 

Apart from Shadab, young opener Saim Ayub has also sustained a rough patch of late, managing only 68 runs in his previous five outings. However, given his immense potential, Saim might get an extended opportunity to prove his worth at the top. 

So, if Pakistan drop Shadab, they might bring Abrar Ahmed into the team to bolster their spin bowling. Also, don't be surprised if the visitors replace one of Amir and Haris Rauf with in-form death-bowling specialist Abbas Afridi for this must-win fixture. 


Pakistan's Probable XI For 3rd T20I vs ENG

Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (C), Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (WK), Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir/Abbas Afridi